Animal feeder and timing mechanism therefor

ABSTRACT

The disclosure is directed to an inexpensive feeder which will deny animal access to the contents thereof for a predetermined time interval as controlled by a timer employing ice as a meltable timer element.

United States Patent Foster [4 Apr. 4, 1972 [54] ANIMAL FEEDER ANDTIMING 1 References Cited MECHANISM THEREFOR UNITED STATES PATENTS [72]Inventor: William C. Foster, 603 Bay Drive, Bal- 3,491,723 1/1970Soukeras ..1 19/51.12 timore, 21220 3,374,643 3/1968 Thorner ..62/1403,232,274 2/1966 Chatfield ..119/51.12 I Flledl 19, 1970 3,330,2567/1967 De Vaux..... ...119/51.12 [2]] App] 4 010 3,399,541 9/1968Thorner ..62/140 Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery 52 us. 01..119/s1.12, 58/1, 1 19/51.1 1, & Stone 119/51.14 51 Int. Cl. ..A0lk5/02 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..1 19/51, 29, 51.1 1, 51.12,51.13, he disclosure is directed to an inexpensive feeder which willll9/5l.l5, 51.5; 62/140; 58/]; 116/118 deny animal access to thecontents thereof for a predetermined time interval as controlled by atimer employing ice as a meltable timer element.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 41912 SHEET 1 [1F 2 FIG. 2

I N VENTOR WILLIAM c. FOSTER FIG. 3

ATTORNEYS.

PATENTEUAPR 4:912 3,653,360

sum 2 [IF 2 H G 6 INVENTOR WILLIAM c. FOSTER ATTORNEYS,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is generally recognized that animal foodintake should be regulated both as to quantity and time of feeding toavoid food wastage and overconsumption with its concomitant healthhazard. In those instances where it is undesirable or impractical tomake animal food available within desirable time intervals such as, forexample, in the case of household pets where the owners may be absentduring the working day; the usual practice has been to make a sufficientquantity of food available to sustain the animal throughout the day.Inasmuch as animals have a tendency to immediately consume availablefood an owner is aware that if the food is limited to a specified amountappropriate to the extended time interval between feedings, the animalwill immediately consume the same and its appetite will be unsatisfiedat a later time prior to the next feeding. Conversely, if anoverabundance of food is made available the animal will not only overeatbut will frequently waste the excess food.

The economic considerations regarding overindulgence and/or food wastagemay be very substantial in commercial operations whereas health andwell-being are the primary concerns of household pet owners. Theseproblems have been dealt with at both the commercial and householdlevels by the use of automated feeders which may be prestocked with anappropriate quantity of food to which the animal is denied access untila predetermined feeding time. Although feeders of this type serve theirintended function in a satisfactory manner they have not achieved widescale acceptance, particularly at the household level, because of theirrelative complexity and substantial cost. Typically,. automatic feedersof the type previously suggested, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,752,995 and3,330,256, employ conventional timing mechanisms to make animal foodavailable at a predetermined time. While the gross bulk and expense ofsuch timing mechanisms may be acceptable to commercial animal raisers itis substantially less attractive to the owner of a household pet wherethe bulk of the timing mechanisms alone, quite apart from its obviousexpense, is a substantial deterrent to wide-spread commercialacceptance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary purpose of the invention is toprovide an automated animal feeder, particularly for household pets,whose bulk and expense is substantially the same as that of a combinedfeeding and watering receptacle.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a feed container whichmay be stocked with an appropriate quantity of food for a single feedingwhich quantity of food is made available for animal consumption onlyafter a predetermined time interval under the control of a meltabletimer element; to provide limited refrigeration for the food and toprovide drinking water as an incident of the melting timing element; andto introduce a novel timing device, per se.

In addition to the introduction of a novel timing device, per se; theforegoing objects are achieved by the provision of a latch assemblycomprising relatively movable latching elements coacting between ananimal feed receptacle and its latchable closure to unlatch the closureafter a predetermined degree of relative movement which degree ofmovement may be pre-established, and the time required therefor presetby conditioning the movement of one such element on the melting time fora given quantity of ice. More specifically, a latch element carried bythe receptacle is biased for movement in an unlatching direction againsta quantity of ice and may move in that direction as the ice melts torelease the latch assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates, in solid lines, anexploded perspective of an animal feeder constructed in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an assembled animal feeder as shown in FIG.1 with the closure member in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 andillustrating food and water in the proper containers;

FIG. 4 is a broken sectional of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective of a second embodiment of theinvention illustrating the novel timer as a separable component; and

FIG. 6 is a broken detail view of a portion of the timer.

view taken along the line 4-4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSFIG. 1 portrays, in solid lines, an exploded perspective of an animalfeeder in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention whichincludes a receptacle 10 having a pivotal closure 12 normally biasedtoward the open position of FIG. 2 by a suitable weight'l4 embedded in atail-like protuberance 16 extending to one side of the closure pivotaxis defined by pivots 18 adapted to be received in receptacle pivotslots 20. The end of closure member 12 remote from weight 14 mounts apivotal hook element 22 which coacts with rod 24 of timer mechanism 26to provide a latch assembly to maintain the closure member in the closeddotted line position of FIG. 1 against the bias of weight 14.

The receptacle and closure members are desirably formed from alightweight insulating material such as polystyrene or the like intowhich weight 14 and pivots 18 may be molded in situ, for example.

Receptacle 10 includes an imperforate central partition 28 extendingbetween front and rear walls 30, 32 to define a feed compartment 34 anda combined timing and watering compartment 36. Front wall 30 is formedwith an opening 38 above the normal water level in compartment 36through which one end of rod 24 extends for latching coaction withclosure hook 22.

The timing mechanism includes an abutment element 40 secured to one endof rod 24 and biased in the direction of rear wall 32 by compressionspring 42 reacting between front wall 30 and the abutment element. Anice mass 44, illustrated as four ice cubes in FIG. 1, positionedintermediate rear wall 32 and abutment element 40 serves as a meltabletiming element to constrain the spring biased movement of the abutmentelement and rod 24 toward the latch releasing position shown in solidlines in FIG. 2. Abutment element 40 is undersize with respect tocompartment 36 to permit the seepage of water from the melting ice tothe other side of the abutment element.

As will be apparent from a comparative inspection of the closed dottedline closure position in FIG. 1 with the open solid line position inFIG. 2; rod 24 coacts with hook 22 to maintain the closure in the closedposition at all positions thereof except when the abutment member isagainst rear wall 32 and the other end of rod 24 is within opening 38.The length of time required for rod 24 to move from the latching ordotted line position of FIG. 2 to the unlatched or solid line positionof FIG. 2 will be a function of the quantity of ice 44, the ambienttemperature and the insulating qualities of the feeder construction.Center partition 28 may be provided with indicia 46 representingapproximate hour intervals for a given feeder construction assuming agiven household temperature and the use of standard size ice cubes. Aswill be apparent from the subject matter of the invention, precisetiming is not required. It is only important that the timer approximatea desired feeding time. Thus, in the case of household pets, anappropriate feeding time could well span several hours during themid-day period although a fairly precise timing interval can bedetermined by visual inspection, if desired.

In the case of a lightweight moldable construction, such as styrofoam,the use of weight 14 is preferred to provide the clo- In use, a quantityof animal food 48 sufficient for a single feeding is placed incompartment 34, a desired quantity of ice is placed in compartment 36between the abutment and end wall 32, and the closure secured in thedotted line position of FIG. 1 by the engagement of hook 22 with theprojecting end of rod 24. After approximately 4 hours, the ice 44 willhave melted permitting compression spring 42 to move abutment 40 againstend wall 32 and retract rod 24 from latching engagement with hook 22.Weight 14 then pivots closure 12 to the open position of FIG. 2permitting animal access to the contents of the receptacle. In additionto serving as a timing element, ice 44 further functions to provide adegree of refrigeration for the food and the water 50 accumulated incompartment 36 from the melted ice serves as the drinking water. Thislatter feature has the advantage that it is unnecessary to handle a panof water with its consequent likelihood of spillage. The offsetrelationship of rod 24 relative to the centerline of compartment 36 isto leave sufficient room for the animal to drink.

An animal may be made aware of the opening time of the feeder by the useof a bell or other sounding device attached to the closure member, asdesired, to induce a Pavlovian response in the animal.

The feeder construction shown in FIGS. and 6 difiers from thatpreviously described in that a removable and somewhat modified timermechanism is employed and a supply of drinking water is available at alltimes.

The timer mechanism 50 is generally in the fonn of a rectangular tray 52having an apertured front wall 54 for the passage of rod 56 and animperforate rear wall 58 which coacts with abutment 60 to maintain abody of ice 62 therebetween. A pawl 64 pivotally mounted on front wall54 may be used to selectively lock rod 56 in any desired position as byengagement with notches 66. Abutment 60 has a stealing fit with the sideand bottom walls of tray 52 and water may be selectively retainedbetween end wall 58 and abutment 60 or permitted to drain through theabutment member by closing or opening a drain aperture in abutment 60controlled by a face valve 68 having a tight friction fit with its pivot70 and the front surface of the abutment. A slot 72 in one wall of tray52 aligns with a corresponding slot 74 in one of two partitions 76dividing receptacle 78 into feed, timing and watering compartments 80,82, 84. Slots 72 and 74, collectively, form a weir between the timingand watering compartments. A slot 86 in the front wall88 of receptacle78 is provided for rod 56 whereby the same may coact with hook 90 onclosure 92 in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1-4.it will be noted that closure member 92 does not overlie the wateringcompartment 84 which provides an open drinking receptacle at all times.The drinking water is, of course, supplemented by water from the meltingice as it overflows the weir.

Although valve 68 may be moved to the open position and pre-froZen icesuch as ice cubes, crushed ice or the like utilized as the meltabletiming element; the meltable timing element of the FIG. 5 embodiment isparticularly adaptable to be frozen in situ. Thus, rod 56 may bewithdrawn against the bias of spring 94 to a desired timing interval andlatched by pawl 64. Thereafter, with valve 68 closed, the water-tightcompartment defined by end wall 58, the side walls of tray 52 and theabutment 60 may be filled with water to a desired depth and placed in afreezer. After the water is frozen to form ice 62, valve 68 is opened,pawl 64 is released and the closure member latched in the closedposition. As ice block 62 melts,

water flows through the opening in the abutment member and, ultimately,into drinking compartment 84. After ice block 62 melts, rod 56 is movedinwardly to unlatch the closure in the manner previously described.

I claim:

1. An animal feeder, comprising; a feed container including separatefeed and timing compartments, a closure member mounted for movement intoand out of overlying relationship to said compartments, a latch elementcarried by said closure,

a coacting latch element carried by said container for movement of oneend thereof between a first latching position extending outwardly of oneend wall of said container and a second unlatching position within theconfines of said container, an ice abutment member within said timingcompartment and adapted to engage a body of ice, said coacting latchelement being secured to said abutment member, and means biasing saidabutment member and coacting latch element toward the ice engaging andunlatching positions.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No-3,653,360 Dated April 4, 1972 Inventor(s) William C. Foster It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 Line 41 "Mechanisms" should be "mechanism";

Column 2 Line 74 "predetermined" should be "protuberance";

-Column 3 Line-35 a "stealing" should be "sealing";

Signed and sealed this 1st day of August 1972.

(SEAL) 'Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo. 3:653:36O Date April 4, 1972 Inven William C. Foster It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 Line 41 "Mechanisms" should be "mechanism";

Column 2 Line 74 "predetermined" should be "protuberance";

Column 3 Line 35 a "stealing" should be "sealing";

Signed and sealed this 1st day of August 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer CommissionerofPatents

1. An animal feeder, comprising; a feed container including separatefeed and timing compartments, a closure member mounted for movement intoand out of overlying relationship to said compartments, a latch elementcarried by said closure, a coacting latch element carried by saidcontainer for movement of one end thereof between a first latchingposition extending outwardly of one end wall of said container and asecond unlatching position within the confines of said container, an iceabutment member within said timing compartment and adapted to engage abody of ice, said coacting latch element being secured to said abutmentmember, and means biasing said abutment member and coacting latchelement toward the ice engaging and unlatching positions.